By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
With the aid of two quick footed Good Samaritans, Bowling Green Police arrested a man and a juvenile male suspected of passing counterfeit bills at local stores on Wednesday (July 24) afternoon.
Between 3:20 and 4 p.m., three stores in the 1000 block of South Main Street were approached by a customer using counterfeit $100 bills. At each store, the bills passed the pen test, which is intended to identify fake money. Employees reported the suspicious bills to police, who began searching the area for suspects matching the descriptions.
Police Chief Tony Hetrick happened to be in the area when the reports came in. He pulled into a parking lot in front of Family Farm & Home, and identified one of the suspects.
According to the police report, Hetrick ordered the suspect to stop, but the man took off running south, behind Wendy’s, across West Gypsy Lane Road, then in front of Midas.
Hetrick reported that the suspect was outpacing him, when two construction workers at the new Harbor Freight Store, on South Main Street, noticed the chase and joined in the pursuit.
“I’m not as young as I used to be,” said the chief, who figured his last foot pursuit of a suspect was when he was a sergeant, 15 or so years ago. “I knew I wasn’t going to catch him.”
Jeremy King, the general contractor at the site, said he was standing in front of the store checking on painting being done, when he heard Hetrick yell “freeze.” The suspect failed to comply, King said.
“He takes off running, directly toward me,” said King, from Texas.
King tried unsuccessfully to trip the suspect, and then began the chase. He was soon joined by a painter from the Harbor Freight job.
“One of the painters jumped off the ladder, and we chased him through the tire shop parking lot,” King said. “I heard footsteps and he was right on my heels.”
The painter is from Albania, he said, and does not speak any English.
The two men tackled the suspect, Detevin Butts, 29, of Charlotte, North Carolina, in the parking lot of the Murphys gas station by Walmart.
“I’m really grateful that citizens are willing to step in to help,” Hetrick said.
Foot chases are not a common occurrence for King, who is 41.
“No ma’am. I’m from Texas. I don’t make it a habit to get involved in things like this,” King said Thursday afternoon. “My foot is killing me today. I’m not made to be running like that anymore.”
During the chase, Butts reportedly dropped several items, including a receipt for an item purchased with a fake bill. King was able to point out the locations of the discarded items to Hetrick.
In the meantime, police officers found the other suspect, a 16-year-old male, in another store on South Main Street.
Store employees from Advanced Auto Parts, Dunkin’ Donuts and Family Farm & Home identified Butts and the juvenile as the suspects passing counterfeit bills.
Police are looking into the possibility that Wednesday’s cases are linked to the use of $50 fake bills at stores earlier this week in Bowling Green.
The juvenile was taken to Wood County Juvenile Detention Center and charged with forgery and drug possession.
Butts was charged with two counts of forgery and obstruction of official business. He was taken to Wood County Jail.
